Masaryk University in BrnoPedagogical Fakulty

Department of English

Teaching Grammar at The Basic Schools according to The Framework Educational Programme

Bachelor Thesis

Brno 2006

Supervisor: Author: PhDr. Helena Havlíčková Jarmila Šabatová

I. THEORETICAL PART

1. Introduction

2. The Framework Educational Programme

2.1 The Framework Educational Programme in the Czech Republic2.2 Language communication2.3 Key competences 2.4 Expected results in the language communication

3. Grammar and the language curriculum

3.1 Curriculum and communication3.2 The centrality of language 3.3 The grammar- centred curriculum

4. Identifying grammar

4.1 What is grammar4.2 Grammar in language teaching

5. Presenting and testing grammar

5.1 Presenting grammatical items5.2 Discovery techniques5.2 Practice techniques5.3 Testing grammar5.4 My own conclusion of presenting grammar

II. PRACTICAL PART

6. The Framework Educational Programme and the School Educational Programme

6.1 Making the School Educational Programme6.2 The School Educational Programme for 6th class

7. Grammatical units taken from the School Educational Programme

7.1 The list of grammatical units 7.2 Lesson plans for the main units

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8. Teaching process

8.1 Hypotheses about each lesson plan8.2 Evaluation and experience from the lesson

9. Checking and testing knowledge

9.1 Test for students9.2 Anticipation of possible problems9.3 Evaluation of the tests

10. Conclusion

10.1 Advantages and disadvantages of using the School Educational Programme

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1. Introduction

I have been teaching English at the basic school for ten years. My students are at the

age from ten to fifteen. Basic education in the Czech Republic has been organized by

several state educational and curriculum documents during the period that I have been

teaching. Two years ago, in 2004, a new educational document for basic schools has been

published. It is called the Framework Educational Programme. It offers a new view on

our educational system. Main stress is put on results and competences not on subject

matter during the process of education. It is obligatory for schools to make their School

Educational Programmes. A school year 2007-8 has been established as the first year for

realizing these new School Educational Programmes. Now it is the time for making them.

This thesis solves this problem in connection with teaching grammar in English. The

main aim of the thesis is to show how grammar could be taught.

Theoretical part engages in this new document which is described here in details. Then

grammar is characterized as a part of language teaching. Main types of presenting and

testing grammar are mentioned here. Relationship between teaching grammar and

language curriculum as a whole is explained in theoretical part too.

Practical part firstly describes the process of making a new School Educational

Programme. Then attention is put on the 6th class only. There is a table of subject matter

developed from the School Educational Programme. Two lesson plans of main

grammatical units are chosen for presenting grammar. There are hypotheses and

evaluation for each lesson. In the last part there are tests for learners. Anticipations of

possible problems are presented here, then evaluation of each test. Conclusion of this

thesis comes out the advantages and disadvantages of the Framework Educational

Programme for teachers and students.

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2.1 The Framework Educational Programme in the Czech Republic

The national curriculum (also called the Educational Framework or the Framework

Educational Programme) is the national educational document which was edited by “VÚP”

in Prague in 2004. This document consists four parts.

Part A specifies the national educational programme for the basic schools. Part

B characterizes generally the basic education in the Czech Republic. Part C

contains the key competences which are devided into some educational areas.

There are ten main educational areas in part C.

Teaching English language belongs to the part which is called Language and

Language Communication. This chapter contains two parts; Czech language and

literature and foreign languages.

2.2 Language and language communication

The educational part called Language and language communication is taken as

to one of the most important part in the educational programme. A high level of

language culture belongs to the basic items of general education. Language

learning supplies knowledge and skills that provide possibilities to receive several

messages , it makes pupils understand these messages, it makes them express new

things properly. Students should be able to use and enforce the results of their

knowledge. Foreign and the second foreign language contribute to understanding

and discovering the realities that are above the experience brought by mother

tongue. These realities provide the basis of language communication and

assumptions for communication in a scope of integrated Europe and the world.

The language acquisition helps to reduce a language barrier. It is useful for

improving the mobility of the individuals both in their personal life and in their

next professional carrier. The language acquisition enables pupils to know the

differences of the traditions in foreign country. It intensifies the view of

importance of reciprocal understanding and tolerance between countries. It

facilitates cooperation between schools in the international projects. The

requirements in foreign language education, that were formulated in The National

Curriculum of Basic Education in the Czech Republic, are based on the Common

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Europe Referential Scope for Languages (Společný evropský referenční rámec pro

jazyky). This scope describes different levels of the language acquisition.

2.3 The aims of the language communication

The education in this area points to these key competences:

pupils are expected:

● to receive language as a historical and cultural fact

● to know the historical and cultural development of the country and nation

● to make a positive view of mother tongue

● to use the language for receiving the information

● to require the main structures of communication between people

● to make a positive view of foreign language in a scope of multicultural

communication

● to require the self confidence for presenting in public

● to be able to read the literary texts

● to make a positive view of the classic literature and other arts

● to require an emotional and esthetic cognition

2.4 The expected results

Level 1, the beginners, 1st period

RECEPTIVE, PRODUCTIVE AND INTERACTIVE SKILLS

A pupil

▪ pronounces correctly, reads with proper pronunciation

▪ understands simple instructions, reacts on them

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▪ recognizes written and spoken form of the word

▪ understands the meaning of simple, slow conversation

▪ uses alphabetical dictionary in a textbook

RECEPTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS, 2 nd period

A pupil

▪ understands known words and simple sentences

▪ understands the meaning of simple authentic materials, uses them for his

work

▪ reads loudly with proper pronunciation simple texts with known vocabulary

▪ finds out useful information in a simple text, makes the answer to the

question

▪ uses dictionary

PRODUCTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

▪ forms grammatically correct written statement, short text, an answer to the

statement

▪ products orally the context of simple text, writes simple text, products simple

conversation

▪ changes short texts

INTERACTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

▪ reacts actively to the simple conversation, greets and says good bye to a friend,

provides information

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Level 2, the intermediate

RECEPTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

▪ reads loudly, fluently with a proper pronunciation

▪ understands the meaning of simple texts in the textbooks and in the authentic

materials, finds known words and phrases in the texts

▪ understands simple and clear speech and conversation

▪ finds the possible meaning of the new words from the context

▪ uses a dictionary and finds the meaning of the words

PRODUCTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

▪ builds simple (written and spoken) statement about situation in daily life, in

family, at school and in other topics

▪ writes grammatically correct sentences, changes sentences and short texts

▪ briefly retells the story or the text

▪ asks for simple information

INTERACTIVE SPEAKING SKILLS

A pupil

▪ is able to speak in the common daily situations in a simple way

3. Grammar and the language curriculum

It has been suggested that the design of any language - teaching curriculum is

conceived as constituting the answers to three interrelated questions; “What is to be

learned?” “How is learning to be undertaken and achieved?” “To what extent is the

former appropriate and the latter effective?” (Breen and Candlin 1980, p. 89).

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3.1 Curriculum and communication

There have been increasing efforts to bring curricular objectives into alignment with

language-functional aims and learner- behaviour specifications. It has been found that

the goals of language-teaching programmes are often articulated in terms of

“communicative competence”, and much discussed in the pedagogic research literature

are the so-called “communicative approaches” to language instruction. The fundamental

premise of most such approaches is that the primary function of language is that of

“communication”. Certainly, the viability of any “communicative curriculum” will need

to be linked in important ways to the validity of this premise; yet the premise itself

represents a belief about language function.

(William E. Rutherford, 1987, p. 147)

One well-known researcher, F.Newmeyer, has this to say:

Obviously, communication is a function of language-perhaps, according to some

plausible but still undervised scale, its most important function. But communication

does not appear to be the only function of language. Language is used for thought, for

problem solving, for play, for dreaming, for displays of group solidarity, for deception,

for certain specialized literary modes such as represented speech…,and possibly to

fulfill an instinctive need for symbolic behaviour…; in fact, language plays an integral

role in virtually every conceivable human activity. Now one might, of course, choose to

call all these attributes and abilities “communication”. But doing so, it seems to me,

takes from the word “communication” any meaning other than “acting human”.

( Newmeyer 1983, p. 100)

According to William E. Rutherford there is nothing of intrinsic language

organization that can be identified, isolated, and abstracted away for curricular

representation as the formal exponent of some set of “communicative functions”.

Grammar is in no sense amenable to such procedures, and this is as true for product as

for process-oriented concepts of language form. These observations argue then against

any centrality within the curriculum for systems of “communication” where decisions

concerning grammatical focus are attendant upon “communicative” points of departure.

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3.2 The centrality of language

Letting language itself be at the centre of the pedagogical plan would seem at first

glance to represent nothing new. Possible difficulties in accepting the value of a

language-centred pedagogical plan would very likely stem from what we already know

of so many such attempts in the past- attempts whose apparent failure to lead to desired

goals has more recently, in the eyes of some language professionals, discredited the

notion of any kind of curricular prominence for language organization.

William E. Rutherford says:

“There are two prime assumptions that are usually identifiable throughout the history

of language-centred pedagogy. The first of these amounts to a belief about language, the

second about teaching {learning}:

1. the essence of language is an assemblage of hierarchically-arranged constructs;

2. the essence of language teaching/learning is the direct imparting of those

constructs by teacher to learner.”

3.3 The grammar-centred curriculum

We can say that the learner has to be exposed to the data from which hypotheses may

be formed and meaningful generalizations drawn. The exposure factor is a more crucial

one than might be supposed; it becomes even more so where the classroom is the only

source of target-language date. The need for making the data available to the learner

therefore places a special burden of responsibility upon the language curriculum and

language syllabus. The responsibility in curriculum planning has three parts to it :

1) some kinds of decision must be made as to what aspects of the grammatical

system are the major sources for data from which the learner may ascertain the most

formal generalizations (data identification)

2) choice of language content must be such as to ensure the sufficiently timely

appearance of the grammatical aspects identified in 1

3) great care and sensibility must be exercised that the pedagogical instruments

maximize the probabilities for learner receptivity.

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The complexity of language means that if someone learns language, it requires

systematic direct contact with each of its possible constructions. It cannot be necessary

for the learner to encounter the exhaustive set of target-language constructions. One of

the primary responsibilities of the language-teaching curriculum would seem to become

as close as possible an identification of the grammar properties of target-language

lexicon. It is considered of crucial importance for learner projection to well-formed

grammatical constructions.

4. Identifying grammar

4.1 What is grammar

“The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defines grammar as the rules by

which words change their forms and are combined into sentences. There are two basic

elements in this definition: the rules of grammar; and the study and practice of the rules.

The rules of grammar are about how words change and how they are put together into

sentences. The knowledge of grammar also tells the learner what to do if he wants to put

the some phrase into the sentence. Grammar should be called the way in which words

change themselves and group together to make sentences.” (Jeremy Harmer, 1991, p. 1)

4.2 Grammar in language teaching

Each teacher should think about these facts and try to answer these questions before

teaching grammar:

1) Children do not learn grammar rules when they acquire their first language, so do

they need to learn the rules of grammar when they acquire the second language?

2) Pupils need or need not to be given details of grammar rules to study English

successfully.

3) Should pupils get enough chance to practice using a language or should they learn

grammar?

4) Should students be aware of grammatical information about the language?

A good teacher has several possibilities how to teach grammar. There is a number of

techniques for presenting and practicing grammar. According to J.Harmer the

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grammatical information can be given to students in two major ways. The first one

could be extremely covert and the second will be made extremely overt.

Covert grammar teaching means that grammatical facts are hidden from the students-

even though they are learning the language. Students may be asked to do any activity

where a new grammar is presented or introduced, but their attention will be drawn to

this activity not to the grammar.

Overt grammar teaching means that the teacher actually provides the students

grammatical rules and explanations-the information is openly presented.

With overt teaching grammatical rules are explicitly given to students, but with

covert teaching students are simply asked to work with new language to absorb

grammatical information which will help them to acquire the language as a whole.

It is expected to do a lot of structures in teaching and practicing, and less really free

communicative activity at the beginner level. The teaching of grammar is likely to be

fairly covert since the main aim is to get students to use language as much as possible.

On the other hand students at intermediate levels should be involved in more

communicative activities and should have less grammar teaching. The teaching

grammar would probably be more overt. Then advanced students can actively study

grammar in more overt ways.

5. Presenting and testing grammar

5.1 Presenting grammatical items

Presentation means that students are introduced to the form, meaning and use of a

new piece of language (e.g. did for past simple in questions). Students can learn how to

put the new syntax, words and sounds together. They learn grammar that they will need

for their most important experience, applying it to themselves. It is useful to mention the

personalization, which means using a piece of grammar to say things which really mean

something to learner. (e.g. using present simple to say what he does). Presentation can

take place using personalization immediately, teacher uses the students and their lives to

introduce a new language ( e.g. personal questions). Personalization can be the final part

of a presentation which is done through the use of texts or pictures (e.g. using a situation

in daily life, menu in a restaurant).

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J. Harmer speaks about some characteristics of a good presentation that should be

mentioned here:

► a good presentation should be clear ( no difficulties in understanding for learner)

► a good presentation should be efficient (students can manipulate the new

language)

► a good presentation should be lively and interesting (to get interest for students,

their involving during a presentation)

► a good presentation should be appropriate (not put so much information)

► a good presentation should be productive (the introduced situation should allow

students to make many sentences or questions with a new language)

5.2 Discovery techniques

We have said that a good presentation should be clear, efficient, lively and

interesting, appropriate and productive. These can be fulfilled by many ways that are

given to students by teacher. It is only up to teacher how he, she introduces the new

grammatical item. Then students repeat and use this new item. Discovery techniques are

possible ways where students are given examples of language and then asked to find out

how they work, it means to discover the grammar rules. Students find out how grammar

is used in a text and they are actually acquiring a grammar rule. By this students’

involving in the task of grammar acquisition teacher makes sure that they are

concentrating fully, using their cognitive powers. Discovery techniques are not just the

teacher telling what the grammar is. Students are actually discovering information for

themselves.

5.3 Practice techniques

There are various ways of doing practice techniques, which means that pupils do

exercise through the techniques which get them to practice grammatical item. There will

be mentioned four different types of oral practice and written practice too, which are

described by J.Harmer.

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1) Drills are often done with the whole class, students are given sentence with a new

grammatical item and they are asked for right repetition. It is practiced as long as it is

necessary for students to be able to say this structure in a proper way. The aim of drill is

to give students rapid practice in using a structural item. Advantage is that the teacher

can correct any mistakes, can encourage pupils to concentrate on difficulties. But this

way is not very creative.

2) Interaction activities are the ways of language practicing which are more

meaningful and more enjoyable. Pupils often work together in pairs or in groups. They

exchange information in the purposeful and interesting way. They are given some

materials (text, picture, map) and asked for some tasks when they use the grammatical

item that is introduced. Disadvantage should be that the teacher has no control over all

students. He, she can’t be sure that all students understood the grammar.

3) Involving the personality is the way when pupils do the exercise and at the same

time talk about themselves. They are asked to discuss things that involve their

personality and to use this subject matter as a focus for grammar practice. Chain drill is

one way of making a practice drill. It is closely drill but in more funny and enjoyable

way. It is more interesting than usual, because students are asked for speaking about

themselves.

4) Games are surely the most interesting and the most favourite way how to practice

grammar. Games are very useful for grammar work. Students are given a new

grammatical item through the game, which is exactly the most natural way especially

for children. There are several types of grammar games that will be mentioned later in

this work.

These were oral activities for practicing grammar. But there are some written

activities too. Since grammar practice is often done through writing, it is very useful

too. Some types of written practices will be mentioned here. These are fill-ins, written

drills, word order, parallel writing. Generally speaking, students need to practice their

grammar a lot, but it is only up to the teacher how they will do it. A good teacher should

remember that students would do the tasks with pleasure not only as a necessity.

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5.4 Testing grammar

It has been said that pupils would do the exercises with pleasure and in a funny way.

But it is quite difficult to test grammar in the same way. However it is difficult, it is

possible. There are several types of tests. Teacher can test students’ ability to speak or

write, his reading or listening skills. Of course, written tests take less time and they are

easier to administer. That’s why most tests are based on written skills. This could cause

some problems, because so much teaching in the classroom is based on oral work.

Teacher should remember this fact and try to make the tests suitable for students. Good

test shows both teacher and learner how well they are all doing. Teacher who writes

tests should bear in mind the rules that are offered by J.Hamer:

► do not test what you have not taught

► do not test general knowledge

► do not introduce new techniques in tests

► do not just test accuracy

► do not forget to test the test

5.4 Own conclusion of presenting grammar

All grammar teaching should not be covert. Teacher should not always draw

students’ attention to grammatical facts and rules. Sometimes pupils should discover

facts about grammar through problem –solving activities and sometimes through

practicing grammar. Teacher should not think that the only best kind of grammar

practice is written grammar practice. Teacher should remember that it is not good to test

grammar only with accuracy. The main point in teaching grammar is based on the fact

that children do not learn grammar when they acquire first language, so it could work

when they learn the second language.

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II. PRACTICAL PART

6. The Framework Educational Programme and The School

Educational Programme

6.1 Making The School Educational Programme

The Framework Educational Programme has been done generally for all basic schools

in our republic. It has been developed as an educational document by the Institute of

Education in Prague. This document is obligatory direction for making the own school

programme. Each school in the Czech Republic has to make its own School Educational

Programme, which will come from the national form of the document. Each School

Educational Programme is expected to be a little different.

Firstly, the headmaster puts together several groups of teachers according to their

qualification. It means that teachers who belong to the same educational area will

work together. Teaching English belongs to the educational area which is called

“Language and Language Communication”. That’s why the teachers of Czech,

English, German, Russian and other foreign languages will work on this area together.

Each group of teachers is asked to solve several problems. They should evaluate the

position of a school, its advantages and disadvantages, its offers, its educational aims,

projects etc. Then the teachers make the list of expected school results and knowledge,

which has to come from the Framework Educational Programme and its key

competences. They are free in choosing the subject matter. This will be set up

according to the expected school results. At the end they make a table for each form,

which will contain all these points. This is a very hard work for teachers, if they want

to do it the best way. It takes a lot of their free time. The final product should be used

as an educational programme for this specific area.

6.2 The School Educational Programme – 6th class

According to The School Educational Programme there is a table of educational

contents for 6th class, English language. (appendix n. 1)

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This table functions both as an educational and a time plan for each teacher at school.

It should be binding for teachers. It is only a part of the School Educational Programme

but it is the most useful part for teachers of English.

This table consists five columns:

►expected results and the key competences according to the Framework Educational

Programme - the key competences are characterized here, some of the expected

results taken from FEP are put here.

► expected results according to the School Educational Programme - the specific

results are described here, these results were made by the teachers and they are the

most important part of this document, they are binding for teachers and teaching.

►subject matter coming from expected results - there is a list of grammatical units

that should be taught and the list of topics that should be solved during a school year,

the subject matter is optional for each school.

►evaluation, it is optional - it is prepared for teacher’s notes, experience, evaluative

points for the next work, there could be mentioned a student’s and teacher’s

portfolio.

►notes, it is optional too - there are methods and forms of work described, this is the

place for noting and realizing relationship between the subjects, subjects should fade

into one another.

7. Grammatical units taken from the School Educational

Programme

7.1 The list of grammatical units

There is solved and described teaching grammar according to the Framework

Educational Programme in this thesis. Each school has to respect FEP and each

teacher should respect the School Educational Programme. It has been said that the

expected results are obligatory and the subject matter is optional for teachers. Teachers

have made these documents themselves, so it should be useful especially for them and

their students. That’s why it is only up to teacher in what way grammar will be

presented. The sequence of presented grammar is free, too. Teacher can use several

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types of methods, even though he can use several textbooks and authentic materials for

his work. He can choose different methods and materials but he has to reach students’

expected results.

The list of grammatical units taken

from the School Educational

Programme

Expected results Grammatical units

A pupil is able to:

- use indefinite article a, an with the nouns

- recognize the single and plural form of the

nouns

-posses things to the person

NOUNS

- indefinite article a, an

- plural of the nouns ( regular and irregular

forms)

- genitive of the nouns

- put the adjectives correctly into the sentence ADJECTIVES

- a position of adjectives in the sentence

- give the personal pronouns to the

correct person

- use the object pronouns in the

sentence

- use the possessive pronouns instead of

genitive

- ask with interrogative pronouns

PRONOUNS

- personal pronouns – subject and

object form

- possessive pronouns

- interrogative pronouns

- demonstrative pronouns ( that, those,

this, these)

- count the things, animals and people NUMBERS-NUMERALS

- numbers 0-100

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- understand simple speech and

conversation about personal details

- ask for personal details

- describe the place, picture, photo

- describe a person, animal, thing or a

place in a simple sentence

- ask for personal description

- say what a person is / isn’t able to do

- ask for permission

VERBS

- verb to be: statement, negative,

question, short answer

- phrase there is/are

- verb to have got : statement, negative,

question, short answer

- modal verb can,can’t

- put the prepositions correctly into a sentence PREPOSITIONS

- preposition of a place and the time

- make simple sentence in present

simple

- follow the form of English sentence

- use the auxiliary verbs correctly

- make question in present simple

- follow the form of English question

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

- statement, negative statement ( don’t,

doesn’t), questions ( do, does), short answers

- make the sentence in present cont.

- make the negative sentence in present

cont.

- make the question in present cont.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

- statement, negative statement, question

-describe what happens frequently - present tenses : using and comparing

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- describe what is happening now

According to the School Educational Programme teacher should proceed from the

expected results, these are the most important points in his work. This table shows how

the teacher makes a process. The results are done and the subject matter is chosen by the

teacher.

7.2 Lesson plans for the main grammatical units

1) Lesson plan 1 is based on these expected results from the School Educational

Programme: a pupil is able to describe a place, thing and a person, to understand the short

text with description, to make sentence in present tense. The verb have got has been chosen

as a subject matter. The expected results are used in a lesson plan as an aim of the lesson.

Several methods of teaching were used there. The covert grammar teaching was used in

presenting grammatical unit by using the pictures and speaking about them. Drill was used

in a game “memory chain”. But it is covered in this game. The last part of the lesson is

based on children’s natural skill – drawing.

Lesson plan 1, verb to have got.

Aim: pupils will be able to use the verb in a sentence, they will be able to understand

the sentence with the verb in its two forms: have got, has got and negative forms

haven’t got and hasn’t got.

Age of students: 10 – 11 year-old children

Material: a blue ball for teacher, two pictures on the plastic folio (a girl with a doll, a

boy with a car), one picture for each child with known vocabulary, a piece of paper for

each pupil, stick gum.

Time plan:

1. Introduction - teacher shows a ball and says: “ I have got a blue ball.” Then points

to the first picture and says: “She has got a small doll.” Then points to the second

picture and says: ” He has got a red car.” Then writes these three sentences under

the pictures. 7 min.

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2. Teacher asks children for repeating the sentences….. 3 min.

3. Each child gets a picture, it is asked to make its own sentence……. I have got an

orange. 10 min.

4. Game: memory chain, teacher starts the game “I have got a blue ball” and points

to Tom, he says ”You have got a blue ball and I have got an orange” Then the

third person is speaking “She has got a …….he has got an …….and I have got a

…………several children will be asked for repeating the whole sentence. It

should not be very long. 7 min.

5. Piccasso dictation, teacher dictates the short text with the verb to have got about

the monster and children are asked to draw it. 10 min.

6. Feedback, children put their paintings on the board and they check their work

together, they repeat the short text about the monster. 8 min.

The text for children: This is a nice monster. It has got a big head and a big body. It

has got four long arms but it hasn’t got any legs. It has got lovely green eyes, long

nose and a big mouth. It has got long pink hair. Its body is green too. Each arm has got

five fingers. It is our friend. Its name is Fanny. (appendix n.2)

2) Lesson plan 2 respects these expected results, taken from the School Educational

Programme: a pupil is able to make the question in present simple, to follow the form of

question in present simple, to use an auxiliary verb do. Again the aim of the lesson is

based on these results. The lead-in activity has been chosen as a revision from the last

lesson. The second reason is to introduce several verbs that will be used later in

questions. Coloured pieces of paper with auxiliary verb, personal pronouns and with full

verbs should help children to remember the structure of the question in present simple.

The rule of making question will be given explicitly to students. The important point is

mentioned in pair work, the same colours of the words. During the individual practice

children can use the coloured pencils too. An important intention is specified in this

lesson plan. The students will be working only with the auxiliary verb do and personal

pronouns that belong to.

Lesson plan 2, question in present simple

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Aim: pupils will be able to make question in present simple, to use the verb do for

specific personal pronouns, to follow the form of the question in present simple

Age: 10-11 year-old pupils

Material: coloured card with an auxiliary verb DO (green), personal pronouns I, you,

we, they (yellow), full verbs (pink), collections of words for making the questions,

textbook – Project I, school exercise books, worksheets for pupils.

Time plan:

1. lead in activity, brainstorming: revision from the last lesson, teacher puts pink

cards with verbs on the board and children read them, then children are asked for

making the statement about themselves in present simple with these verbs. Pupil says

the sentence, puts the card on the board and writes the rest of a sentence.

7 min.

2. presenting a new grammatical item: teacher explains the form of the question in

present simple with using coloured cards. Several examples are put on the board.

5 min.

3. then students are asked to make questions and write them on the board, they use

all verbs from the lead activity 5 min.

4. pair work: each pair of pupils gets a collection of the words in the same coloures

as were used for presenting, they are asked for making the questions in present

simple 3 min.

5. checking the task, each pair reads its question loudly, the rest of a class corrects,

all questions are put on one desk for checking together 5 min.

6. individual practice: children are asked for writing an exercise from their

textbooks to their school exercise books. The task: complete the question according

to a picture. Children can use coloured pencils. After writing the exercise they give it

to the teacher for checking, teacher checks it and gives advice for correcting.

5 min.

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7. feedback: children get worksheets with two exercises and try to do it themselves

7 min.

8. children change their worksheets and check them together, they correct the

mistakes and count the points, then put mark to a friend

Materials for this lesson plan are presented as an appendix n. 4a

8. Teaching process

8.1 Hypotheses for each lesson

Lesson 1 (according to lesson plan 1)

The main result of this lesson is characterized as a pupil’s ability of describing

something, ability for using the verb have got, ability of understanding a short

description. So it is expected that children will be able to use the verb at the end of a

lesson. The lesson seems to be enjoyable for children, because of a choice of activities.

Pupils are expected to behave well and to be interested in the activities. I assume that a

lead in activity will start a good atmosphere in a class. A new grammatical unit will be

presented as a cover grammar teaching, which seems to be better way for this unit and

for young learners too. Drill, covered in a game, is expected to be done with pleasure.

Teacher should anticipate some problems during this game. Especially weak learners

are expected to have problem with repeating the whole sentence. I will pay attention of

these pupils and I will encourage them and help them. It seems to be helpful if children

stand up and show their picture to everybody. Other children could remember the

sentence easily with visual support. Piccasso dictation is expected to be funny and

enjoyable for children, because they like drawing, monsters and mystery. This activity

seems to be useful way how to fix the using of the verb have got. But for fulfilling the

results it is necessary to be very careful during this activity. Children have to work

themselves, so it would be better if children sit alone. Then the teacher can check their

work fairly. Possible problems with using vocabulary should appear during the

dictation, but it is good to help children with vocabulary. They will be able to

concentrate on understanding the forms of verb have got.

Lesson 2(according to lesson plan 2)

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This grammatical unit is often difficult for children. That’s why I assume that not all

the children will be able to make the question in present simple surely. Some children

are expected to need more time for practicing. I appreciate that the lead in activity is

going to help children to connect the verbs of daily activities with using the present

simple. Using the coloured cards, coloured collection of words and the worksheets with

coloured words is assumed to be helpful for children. The main intention is to fix these

colours in children’s brains. Firstly, the big cards with the words will be stuck on the

board (first support), then children will make the questions with coloured small papers

(second support), then the worksheets are prepared to use colours again (third support).

I anticipate that most of the children will be able to do exercises in the worksheets

correctly.

8.2 Experience and evaluation

Lesson 1

The first part of a lesson has been taken naturally by children without any problems.

They listened carefully and repeated the sentences well. Sometimes children did not

pronounce well, so I corrected them and ask for repetition. After getting pictures in the

next part of the lesson, some children were confused with using a right word. It would

be better next time to name all the pictures together before making sentences. An

important point discovered during this part. Children corrected the mistakes each other

without any bad intention. Children did not need a long explanation for the game. They

had known it from previous lessons. But as it had been assumed, weak learners had a

problem with repeating the whole sentences. I tried to choose these children at the

beginning of this activity so that they had not such a long sentence. Next important

point of this game was that children have to concentrate on the word order of the things

in a chain not on the using of verb have got. They used a new grammatical item covered

in the game without specific concentration. The most enjoyable part was surely

“Piccasso dictation”. Children did not take it as a dictation, but as a game again. Some

of them tried to look around but I explained to them what it is about. Weak learners had

a problem with vocabulary that they had not learnt before. Next time it could be better

to do this activity in pairs, especially in this class because of several dyslectic children.

They would be more concentrated on the grammar then on an unknown vocabulary. At

the end of the last activity children wanted to put their paintings on the wall. They liked

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their monsters very much. I know that this type of activities is very interesting for

children.

Lesson 2

Lead in activity has been presented according to teacher’s expectation. Children were

able to use ten verbs in several statements. Sometimes they needed help with using the

right prepositions. Then it was very useful that these verbs stayed on the board. They

were used immediately for explaining the form of questions in present simple and the

function of DO. I paid attention to colours. It was very helpful for children. They could

change the cards on the board easily. Most children understood quickly. Then in pair

work there were no problem with completing the sentences. Children worked quickly and

carefully. But during individual work some problems came. Children made mistakes in

using right personal pronouns and in spelling. Those children who had problems were

asked for using colours again. Quite a big surprise came during the work on worksheets.

There were twenty three children in a class and except two boys who are both dyslexic

children and need more time for this task all children have done the tasks well. These two

boys were asked to finish it at home and bring it next time. I saw this lesson as a big

success because there always had been problems with questions in present simple in each

class. Next positive point is that children are prepared for using auxiliary verb does which

is coming next time.

9. Checking and testing the knowledge

9.1 Test for students

Test 1, verb to have got, (appendix n.3a,3b, 5a,5b)

The first test is put together so that it checks students’ skills and abilities that are

characterized in these expected results: a pupil is able to describe a person, an animal, a

thing and place, to understand a simple description, to use the verb have got in simple

sentences in all its forms, to work with a short text with this verb. The test has been

made with known vocabulary, according to the topics that have been discussed during

lessons. Several topics were taught within the verb have got, that’s why the exercises in

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the test use different topics (school subjects, days of a week, animals, colours and

things, personal details, parts of the body). The first exercise is based on using the verb

to have got for the first and second person singular and plural only. Through the

knowledge of the school subjects and the days of the week students should complete the

sentences.

The second exercise asks student for answering four questions about themselves. They

should write true sentences from their real life.

The task of the third exercise is to fill in the conversation between two young girls.

The main result is to understand this conversation clearly so that the phrase should be

used in daily situation.

Exercise number 4 finds out how children can make sentence with the verb to have

got. All the words are written in capital letters in order not to be recognizable which

word goes first.

Exercise number 5 is based on translation either form Czech to English or from

English to Czech. An easy vocabulary has been chosen, because the translation is often

very difficult for children. The main intention is to use the verb have got in a sentence,

not to check the vocabulary.

The last exercise is something like compensation for children. It has been made for

pleasure so that the students will not be stressed so much during the test. At the end of

the test children could paint the pictures of William and Wendy. (Taken from Project

Grammar, mluvnická cvičení, Carolyn Barraclough, by OUP,2004)

Children can reach maximum 44 points.

Test 2, present simple, (appendix n. 4b,6a,6b)

Test number 2 was made according to the result of students’ being able to make simple

sentence in present simple tense, to follow the structure of question, to use auxiliary

verbs do and does correctly. Test is set up with using known vocabulary. The main

attention is put on working with the sentence in present simple. There are eight

exercises in which pupils should present their knowledge of present simple tense. In

those exercises several methods are used during the one topic, daily activities.

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The first exercise pays attention on using the verbs in statements. The knowledge of

adding –s in 3rd person sing. is expected.

Exercise n. 2 is based on making questions in present simple. These questions come

from the previous exercise. There is an example of a question so that students could

follow it.

Next two exercises are connected. Students should match two halves of these

sentences and rewrite them correctly with using our known colours.

The fifth exercise is about using correct form of auxiliary verbs. It seems to be easier

than in ex. N. 2, because children can choose from two possibilities. As a visual support

there are coloured subjects again.(yellow)

Exercise n. 6 asks learners for using short or long answer. Students are expected to use

short forms of do not and does not, when it is possible. They should be able to make the

whole answer.

Exercise n. 7 lets children find the correct words for filling in this table. They should

use auxiliary verbs do and does, right subject, full verbs and the rest of the

sentence(time).

Last exercise is based on finding out grammatical mistakes. The number of mistakes is

done so that it is easier for children.

Children can reach maximum 57 points.

9.2 Anticipation of possible problems with the tests

Test 1, verb to have got

There are several topics used in the test, so it is possible that children will have

problems with vocabulary. Exercise n.1 assumes knowledge of school subjects and the

days of the week. There could appear problems with pronouns too. The second exercise

is expected to be uneasy because of making whole answer. This type of exercise often

requires a clear explanation. Exercise n.3 is expected to be the most difficult from the

test. Children always have problems with filling in the conversations. On the other hand

there is an easy vocabulary used and a suitable topic of dialogue for young learners. The

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fourth exercise seems to be easy for children. The words are done and it is easier than

making the whole sentence. Possible problems might be with the position of adjectives

in sentences three and four. Translation is expected to be the most difficult. The most

frequent mistakes are often being done in using definite and indefinite articles and in the

structure of the sentence and question. Next problem would appear with using personal

pronouns in translation from Czech to English. Last exercise, which should be enjoyable

for children, could make problems with some new words, but with visual support

children could understand them correctly.

Test 2, present simple

An easy vocabulary concerning one topic is used in all exercises from the test. That’s

why it is not expected that students have problems with vocabulary. First exercise

should bring problems with using correct form of the full verbs. Children often make

mistakes in subject verb concord. They do not recognize clearly to which pronoun

subject needs to be connected (her parents=they). I expect mistakes with using do, does

in exercise n. 2. Children often forget to put auxiliary verb into the question. The third

and fourth exercises are expected to be well done because of using colours as in lessons.

Possible problems with subject verb concord are assumed again in exercise n. 5. Next

mistakes should appear in using the right form of full verb, right prepositions and the

time in the sixth exercise. Children are going to make sentence without any help, that’s

why there could be some errors. The table in the next task should be made without any

problems. The last task anticipates finding grammatical errors. Students could be

disappointed with these mistakes. Not all the mistakes will be found. The teacher should

respect these problems and will put attention on clear explanation. The teacher will

notice the importance of present simple and possible mistakes. Children should not look

for other mistakes.

9.3 Evaluation of the tests

The evaluation of the tests is presented in these four tables. The students could reach

total score of 44 points for the first test and 57 points for the second one. Tables 1 and 3

show the evaluated data. Tables 2 and 4 present evaluation according to the school

expected results. These tables show how teacher can evaluate the tests. This simple way

is quick, well-arranged. It provides clear image about fulfilling of the expected results.

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Table n. 1(verb have got)

Evaluative score (in points) Mark A number of students

44 – 40 1 2

39,5 – 32 2 11

31,5 – 20 3 3

19,5 – 10 4 3

9,5 – 0 5 3

2,70 22

According to this result the verb have got should have been practicing more during the

lessons and then next short test should be offered to the children. The expected school

result of knowing the verb have got has been partially fulfilled. But more frequent mistakes

have been done in other grammatical units (personal pronouns, indefinite articles).

Table n. 2(verb have got)

Exercise n:

Success (%)

More frequent errors Probable reasons Notes for next work

1.

85%

-in the sentence before

the last one, using the

long form of the verb

have got instead of

short form

- it is the only one

sentence where should

be used a long form

- practice more the

short forms

2.

60%

- using the correct

subject in two last

sentences

-two sentences use 2nd

p.sing.

- mixed up the subjects

in the sentences

3.

35%

- finding the correct

form of the verb have

got

- missing knowledge

of the right

forms(subject verb

concord)

- more practice of this

type of conversation

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- using a short and a

long forms of the verb

4.

45%

- putting the indefinite

articles to the right

position in the

sentence

- paying attention to a

verb have got

- revise indefinite

articles, their using and

position

5.

65%

- using the articles in a

translation from

English

- translation the

subjects ( pronouns) to

Czech

- less practice in the

lessons

- missing knowledge

of personal pronouns

- practice the

translation more often

- revise personal

pronouns

6.

85%

- using the short forms

of negative without got

- less practice during

the lessons, little space

for children’s writing

- practice the negative

forms once more

Table n. 3 (present simple)

Evaluative score (in points) Mark Number of students

57-51 1 6

50,5-41 2 8

40,5-25 3 5

24,5-12 4 3

11,5-0 5 0

2,20 22

Table n. 4 (present simple)

Exercise n: More frequent Probable reason Notes for the next

30

Success (%)

mistakes work

1.

65%

- adding –s in 3rd p.

sing.

- without coloures

- difficult to recognize

the subject( Janet and

Jason)

- practice with names

and different subject,

not only with personal

pronouns

2.

75%

- sometimes with using

correct auxiliary verb

- no visual support, the

sentences start with

interrogative pronouns

- practice with

interrogative pronouns

3. and 4.

60%

- are connected, if the

child made mistake in

3, it had to be made in 4

- missing any sentence

element in the sentence,

incorrect auxiliary verb.

- often in the fourth

exercise children found

out the mistake and

correct it in ex.n.3

- missing knowledge of

using auxiliary verb

- visual support in 4

helps them

- use the coloures in 3

too

5.

75%

- only in sentence with

your father and children

as subjects

- your is similar to you,

the word children make

problems with

recognizing the singular

or plural

- revise before the test

singular and plural

forms of the nouns

6.

85%

- only a few mistakes in

3rd and 4th sentences( 3rd

p. sing.)

- many sentences have

been done during the

lessons, children are

used of them

- still pay more

attention to 3rd p. sing.

7.

95%

- without grammatical

mistakes, only in

spelling …great!

- visual support,

children are used of it,

it helps a lot

- continue with this

method

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8.

40%

- not recognizing the

mistakes in subject verb

concord

- no visual support, too

long for children, quite

difficult

- use the coloures in

this exercise,try it

again, choose shorter

text

This table presents the fact that children are able to use the present simple in different

types of exercise. They sometimes made mistakes, but the school result of knowing the

present simple was almost fulfilled. It needs to be practised further in the lessons. It has

appeared that the method of visual support is very helpful for children. That’s why it

should continue.

10. Conclusion

10.1 Advantages and disadvantages of using the School

Educational Programme

Several advantages have been found during this thesis. The Framework Educational

Programme provides free and equal opportunity for each school in our republic to present

its aims, skills, intentions, position of school in a hierarchy of our state education. The fact

that each School Educational Programme will be little bit different seems to be very good

for future education. The parents could choose the suitable school for their children. The

schools could present themselves. They can offer several possibilities of teaching process.

A fair competition between schools will start. The School Educational Programme offers

several methods of teaching, the schools can choose various materials for their education,

different titles of textbooks, different authentic materials. The teaching process seems to be

more free and enjoyable for children. Relationships between subjects appear as a big

advantage, too.

On the other hand there are several disadvantages, too. This process of making and

realizing the School Educational Programme takes a lot of teachers’ time, not only during

the working time, but more often in their free time. It is very difficult to do this work

during the school year, during the teaching process. The teachers need to work together but

it is often impossible during the teaching process. Next disadvantage is that we can see the

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function of the Framework Educational Programme in a few next years. It should be

evaluated as a whole after one generation of students finish the basic school. Next problem

surely come if the family moves and a child has to change the school, because each school

can change the sequence of subject matters.

All these advantages and disadvantages here are just my observations during studying

the Framework Educational Programme and during making of the School Educational

Programme. Of course, when this new educational document will be fully transferred into

the practical use it will surely bring other possible advantages and disadvantages.

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